Categories
Geopolitics In The News War in Ukraine

Trump Stopped The Iran-Israel War — Why He Won’t Do The Same For Russia-Ukraine

At the NATO Summit in The Hague, European leaders are focused on appeasing Donald Trump by heeding his call for increased defense spending, while carefully avoiding any mention of Ukraine. By sidelining the ongoing war on its eastern border, the alliance errs in favor of political caution.

Categories
In The News

Trump, Tehran And The Choreography Of A Surprise Ceasefire

By giving the Americans advance warning, the Iranians ensured that their response to the US bombing yesterday would not cause any casualties. Donald Trump seized the opportunity to stop the war, despite Israel’s continued pursuit of a hardline approach.

Categories
Geopolitics In The News

Netanyahu Is Now Master Of The Middle East — But He Can’t Go Far Without The Saudis

The intervention of American bombers in Iran has strengthened Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s position, allowing him to assert military supremacy over the Middle East. What comes next will be more difficult, as no solution is on the horizon for Gaza, and the Saudis are growing more skeptical than ever of Israel.

Categories
Geopolitics In The News

Israel’s War Machine: Why (Even) Europe Can’t Seem To Stand On Principle

By declaring that Israel was “doing the dirty work for all of us,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz shocked many and cast an ambiguous shadow over Europe’s position in the conflict. At a moment when Europe should be upholding the rule of law, he appeared to align with Israel and the United States, who seem to rely solely on force.

Categories
Eyes on the U.S. Geopolitics

Three Factors Are Pushing Trump To The Brink Of Entering The Iran War

The exchange of threats between Donald Trump and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei are increasing tensions, and everyone is waiting for the U.S. president to decide whether or not to commit his country to war alongside Israel. If Trump decides to do it, there are three main reasons why.

Categories
Eyes on the U.S. Geopolitics In The News

What Donald Trump Has Right About The G7

Donald Trump’s early departure from the G7 Summit highlighted his contempt for this type of meeting, but also had the virtue of pointing out that this institution has become an empty shell, embodying a world that has become obsolete. But what should replace it?

Categories
Geopolitics In The News Israel

Killing Khamenei? With Trump Adrift, Nothing Will Stop Netanyahu

Benyamin Netanyahu made his point clear yesterday on ABC news: killing Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader, “would not provoke an escalation. It would end the conflict” with Iran. Netanyahu reveals his end goal: the fall of the Tehran regime.

Categories
Geopolitics In The News Israel

Regime Change In Iran May Be Wishful Thinking — And Be Careful What You Wish For

No externally-induced regime change has produced positive results for more than 30 years: not in Afghanistan in 2001, nor Iraq in 2003, nor Libya in 2011. And even if the current rulers were expelled from Tehran, a particularly dangerous kind of chaos would likely take its place.

Categories
Geopolitics In The News

Israel’s Attack On Iran, And The Trap Of Perpetual War

Israel bombed Iranian nuclear and military facilities last night, killing the head of the Revolutionary Guards and several Iranian scientists. It may appear as a strategic victory, but it also appears to be a choice to live with war across the region for years to come.

Categories
In The News

Trump vs. Newsom vs. Truth: Los Angeles As Staging Ground For Our Future Information Wars

The military deployment to Los Angeles has escalated into a showdown between Donald Trump and California’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom. All of this is unfolding against the backdrop of a narrative war, amplified by AI and fake news.

Categories
Geopolitics In The News Israel-Palestine War

Why Western Sanctions Against Israel’s Leaders Mean So Much, And So Little

Five countries have imposed sanctions against the two most important far-right ministers in Israel’s Netanyahu government — Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Internal Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir — a first that marks the deterioration in relations between Israel and its allies. But with the Trump administration standing behind Netanyahu, little can be actually be done.

Categories
Geopolitics In The News Russia-Ukraine War

The War In Ukraine Is Escalating — And Trump’s 24-Hour Promise Of Peace Can Share The Blame

The days of talking about ceasefires feel like a distant memory. Each side is now intent on making the other pay for not giving in. Donald Trump didn’t back up his promise with any pressure on Moscow.

Categories
Eyes on the U.S.

Trump Sends In National Guard — This Is How “Authoritarian Drift” Catches Fire

The first National Guardsmen sent by the U.S. president have arrived in Los Angeles, despite the opposition of the state’s Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom. Trump may have taken this grave step to divert attention from other problems, but it is taking on a life of its own.

Categories
Geopolitics In The News

Congolese Blood, Our Silence — And Our Smartphones

An appeal signed by 75 Nobel Prize winners calls on the world to take action to end the suffering of Congolese civilians in the mineral-rich eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. But they have little chance of being heard — despite our shared responsibility.

Categories
Economy Eyes on the U.S. Geopolitics In The News Trump And The World

Chinese TACO? How Xi Jinping Always Stays One Step Ahead Of Trump

China is blocking exports of rare earth material in response to the U.S. trade war, which is now beginning to affect Western industries. Indeed, the American position is weakened just as negotiations are set to resume. Will Trump chicken out again?

Categories
Geopolitics In The News

Sunshine, Nukes And Lee: The High-Stakes Balancing Act For South Korea’s New President

South Korea had been in political crisis since December, when its conservative president attempted a power grab by declaring martial law. On Tuesday, South Koreans elected the progressive candidate Lee Jae-myung, turning the page and preparing to tackle the immense challenges facing a region on edge.

Categories
Eyes on the U.S. Geopolitics In The News

Romania And Poland: Two Elections, Opposite Results In Trump v. Europe Showdown

The Trump administration backed populist and far-right presidential candidates in Romania and Poland: It lost in Romania but won in Poland. Washington’s agenda is to weaken the European Union by supporting its detractors within it.

Categories
Geopolitics In The News Israel Israel-Palestine War

More Carnage In Gaza — And Only Trump Can Make It Stop

A new horror during food distribution in Gaza comes, with the warring parties digging in their heels at the expense of the population. Only the White House has the weight to impose a truce. Why is it waiting?

Categories
Geopolitics In The News

Poland’s Presidential Showdown, Between Europe And Its Illiberal Shadow

Sunday’s second round of the Polish presidential election feels like a clash between democratic values and nationalist conservatism, with high geopolitical stakes. With Poland’s international profile growing, Trump, Putin, Zelensky, and all the big European players are watching closely.

Categories
Geopolitics In The News

The Predictable Disaster Of Israeli Food Aid In Gaza

The distribution of food aid in Gaza was suspended yesterday after chaotic scenes prompted the Israeli army to open fire. Humanitarian experts had warned the effort was doomed to fail after Israel bypassed established aid organizations in favor of an unknown foundation.

Categories
Geopolitics In The News

The 20th Century’s First Genocide — Why Namibia Took 120 Years To Face Its Own Horror

It is a genocide committed by the German colonial army 120 years ago, but it is being officially commemorated for the first time this week in Namibia. A painful memory is resurfacing — here, as elsewhere in Africa — that is unsettling the former colonizers.

Categories
Geopolitics In The News Russia-Ukraine War Trump And The World War in Ukraine

Crazy Or Not, Putin Has Just Made A Fool Of Trump

Donald Trump called Putin crazy, but he’d never use his favorite insult against the Russian president: Loser. But that’s what Trump is beginning to look like after five months of promising to end the Ukraine war in 24 hours.

Categories
Geopolitics In The News Israel-Palestine War

Time To Condemn Israel’s War On Gaza? The West May Have Reached A Tipping Point

There may be plausible explanations for the delay in international reactions to the tragedy in Gaza. But in the past two months of killing and blockades, the tide has turned.

Categories
In The News

Trump Is Turning The Oval Office Into His Reality TV Set: Lights, Camera, Bully

After Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, it was South African President Cyril Ramaphosa who fell victim to the theater of cruelty staged by Donald Trump in the Oval Office. What is the American president seeking by humiliating his visitors? He is orchestrating a performance to glorify himself.

Categories
Geopolitics In The News Israel-Palestine War

Israeli Opposition To The Gaza War Is Growing — And Netanyahu Couldn’t Care Less

A growing number of Israelis oppose the ruthless war in the Gaza Strip and fear their country’s international isolation. Increasing criticism from Europe is fueling this sentiment, which, for now, has not stopped Benjamin Netanyahu from escalating the conflict.

Categories
Geopolitics In The News Russia-Ukraine War Trump And The World War in Ukraine

Trump The Mercantilist: Ready To Sacrifice Ukraine To Do Business With Russia

Following his call with Vladimir Putin on Monday, Donald Trump seemed to wash his hands of the rest. His ultimate agenda seems to be about inking business deals, just like he’s done on his recent visit to the Gulf states.

Categories
Geopolitics In The News Israel-Palestine War

Gaza: The Horror Of Netanyahu’s Cynicism — And Western Impotence

Netanyahu has resumed limited food aid to Gaza for “diplomatic reasons.” Meanwhile, the Israeli army continues its offensive to take control of the entire territory, and the West’s diplomatic weakness is glaring.

Categories
Geopolitics In The News

A Miracle Victory Over The Far Right — Lessons From Romania For The Rest Of Us

Against all expectations, the far-right candidate George Simion, who had come well ahead in the first round of the Romanian presidential election, lost in the second round to the liberal Nicusor Dan. An election that could be seen as a test between liberal democracy and far-right nationalism.

Categories
Geopolitics Israel-Palestine War The Endless War

Israel’s Need For Permanent War Is Its Great Weakness

The Israeli army has imposed itself as the most powerful in the region in the wars waged since Oct. 7. But this military hegemony does not come with any political solution: This is Netanyahu’s weakness at a time when Trump is visiting the wealthy princes of the Gulf.

Categories
Geopolitics In The News Syria Crisis

MBS: Saudi Billions And Trump Whispering For The Middle East Of His Dreams

Donald Trump surprised everyone by meeting Ahmed al-Sharaa, the Syrian president, a former jihadist. It’s all about Trump’s gut and what Saudi Crown Prince MBS has planned for the region’s future.

Categories
In The News

Macron, Democracy And The Dilemma of Nuclear Deterrence

French President Emmanuel Macron spoke at length on French television Tuesday night about Ukraine and defense issues but struggled to reconcile the public’s conflicting expectations: doing too much or not enough.

Categories
Geopolitics In The News Israel Israel-Palestine War Trump And The World

He’s Negotiating Behind Our Back — Donald Trump Is Teaching Israel A Cold Lesson

U.S. President Donald Trump is on a Gulf tour that is adding to Israel’s worries about its strongest ally: the U.S. has negotiated the release of an American hostage with Hamas, and a ceasefire with the Houthis, without involving Israel.

Categories
In The News Russia-Ukraine War

In Ukraine, On The Verge Of Peace Or Putin’s Biggest Bluff To Date?

Between ceasefire proposals and calls for negotiation, the war in Ukraine has, over the past 36 hours, moved to the rhythm of a bidding war. The goal: to convince Donald Trump of each side’s goodwill.

Categories
Geopolitics In The News

The Death Of Joseph Nye — And Trump’s Attempt To Kill American “Soft Power”

The inventor of the term “soft power,” Joseph Nye, has died at the age of 88, at a time when his concept of gentle influence is being destroyed by Donald Trump.

Categories
Geopolitics In The News Russia-Ukraine War Trump And The World

Marking 80 Years Since World War II — And History Is Once Again Up For Grabs

The 80th anniversary of victory in World War II shines a light on the world’s current fractures, because in addition to the war in Ukraine, which pits the allies of 1945 against each other, there’s Donald Trump wild card.

Categories
Geopolitics In The News Israel-Palestine War

Syria’s Al-Sharaa In Paris — A Message From Macron That’s Also Aimed At Netanyahu

Israel is brutally asserting its plans to reoccupy Gaza and the “voluntary” expulsion of its inhabitants. France is attempting to make a modest counterpoint, in part by receiving Ahmed al-Sharaa the president of the Syrian transition.

Categories
In The News

The Middle East’s Endless Wars — Israel Sees An Opportunity

Israel is calling up tens of thousands of reservists as its military operations threaten to expand in Gaza and grow more significant in Syria. This escalation raises serious questions about the goals behind what has become one of the longest wars in the country’s history.

Categories
Geopolitics

First The Alawites, Now The Druze — Post-Assad Syria Is Doomed If It Can’t Protect Religious Minorities

Just weeks after the massacres targeting the Alawite community, Druze populations are now being attacked by armed groups — threatening the fragile stability of Syria’s post-Assad transition.

Categories
In The News

China Had A Plan All Along For Trump’s Trade War: Technological Decoupling

The United States continues to tighten restrictions on China’s access to Western technology, but the result has been to push Beijing to speed up a decoupling process that was already underway. Huawei now stands as a symbol of China’s response to the American challenge.

Categories
In The News

Trump Has Spent 100 Days Trying To Bully The World — How’s That Going?

The U.S. president has tried to impress (and reshape) the world with a “tough guy” act. But it’s hardly going as planned: start by looking north of the border.

Exit mobile version